Thermostatic control of liquid fuels.



J. G. GALLAN. TKERMGS'IATIO CONTROL OF LIQUID FUELS AiPI-IGATIOH 11mm 312F114, 1908.

1,063,654. Patented Jung 3, 1913.

Nitnesse s: Inventor;

M m I John G ca lla n nurrnn s'rarns @FFTGE.

JOHN G. CALLAN OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, AS$3IGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC GQMPANY, A. UQRIOEATIQN G1 NEW YORK.

THERMUSTIKTIC CQN'BROL G33 LIQUID FUELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1913.

Application filed September 14, 1908. Serial No. 452,923. I

To aZZ 1072,0772, it may northern: Be it known that l, JOHN G: GALJAN, a

citizen of the United States; residing at of such a boiler by automatically varying the pressure of the liquid fuelat the burner in accordance with the variations in the temperature of the steam; decreasing said pres sure as the temperature rises, and vice versa. By thus varying the pressure,- the delivery ,of liquid. fuel at the burner will vary accordingly, irrespective of the speed of the pump within certain limits. In other words, a given temperature of the steam determines a certain normal pressure of fuel at the burner, which cannot be exceeded, but

will be exactly maintained so long as the pump delivers a sufficiency or a surplus of fuel, regardless of high or low pump speed or of long or short pump stroke. If the steam temperature rises above the normal, the fuel pressure will be decreased, to cause a smaller delivery, and efi ect a consequent restoration of the normal stean'i temperature. If the speed of the pump becomes excessive, the increased pressure of fuel will be relieved automatically andthus avoid the danger of a greater generation of vapoix The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic representation of a system of fuel supply embodying my invention.

The coilboiler l supplies steam to an engine 2 or other load device. Water is supplied to the boiler from a-tank 3 by means of a pump at. Liquid fuel, preferably a hydrocarbon oil, is supplied under pressure to the burneimS by means of a pump '6, drawing from, a reservoir7. Both pumps are driven by the engine, as shown. A valve 8 is arranged sin shy-pass leading from the oil delivery pipe 9 around the pump and back to the reservoir 7. The by pass valve is attached to a movable abutment, preferably a diaphragm l0, suitably secured on the valve-casing 11 by a clamp- .ing ring'12 and screwslQ'. The diaphragm exposed on its inner side to the fuel pump pressure of the liquid through the by-pass pipe 13 leading from the delivery pipe 9 to vthe casing 11. The valve controls the admission of oil from the casing to the return pipe 14 running to the reservoir 7. A spring 15 exerts a constant pressure on the outside of the diaphragm in opposition to the pressure of the oil, It will be seen that so long as the spring pressure balances the pressure on the under side of the diaphragm, (which can be found in a manner wellqknown to,

those skilled in the art by multiplying the oil pressure per square inch 'by the diaphragm area in square inches and by a constant) all the oil delivered by the pump will go to the burner, and this will produce the generation of a certain volume of steam at a predetermined temperature. In case the steam is notused as fast as it is gener-. ated, its temperature will rise, and I utilize this rise in temperature to effect anautomatic opening of the by-pass valve and a consequent diminution of the quantity of oil supplied to the burner, whereby the generation of steam isreduced below normal. It is evident that if the tension of the spring is reduced, the oil pressure will overbalance it and. open the by-pass valve at a pressure lower than before. vary the springtension its upper end abuts against a tubular nut 16 carried in the end of the long arm of an elbow lever 17 which is fulcrumed at 1 8 in a bracket 19 projecting from the valve casing 11. The short arm of the lever carries a bearing, preferably an adjustable screw 20, for one end of a strut 21 whose other end is fixed in a standard 22. Both the standard and the valve easing are mounted a suitable distance apart on a length of the steam main 23 be tween the generator 1 and the throttle valve,

be lagged. The parts are so adjusted that To render it possible to steam main ,to become hotter and to lengthen by expansion, thereby withdrawing the strut. and relieving the compression on the spring; whereupon the desired reductlon 1n the oil supply takes place in the manner y can be effected only by sent the best embodiment thereof' above set forth. Moreover, if the load on the engine is lessened so that it speeds up, the increased fuel pressure, due to the ac celeration in the speed of the pump, will 'overbalance the spring .and cause the bypass valve to open and relieve this abnormal fuel pressure. A rod 25 is attached to the diaphragm or to the lower end of the spring andpasses up through the tubular nut, to afford a means for reducing the spring pressure and checking the fire by hand, when desired, or to clear the bypass of dirt.

It will be seen that since lengthening of the portion, 23, of the steam pipe, which increase of temperature, is required to reduce burner pressure, it follows that-the steam temperature will be slightly higher for small evaporation rates than for larger ones. This is desirable rather than objectionable, since the radiation of the piping and engine, which are constant, should for best results be supplied by superheat in the steam, hence when a smaller amount of steam is used, a higher degree of superheat should be employed to supply this constant loss.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to reprebut I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

1.,The combination with a vapor generator, of a burner for heating the generator,

' means for supplying the burner with liquid fuel under'pressure,'an abutment movable in one direction in response to the pressure of the fuel and adapted to *ary said pressure, means which opposes said movement of the abutment, and a device responsive to the temperature of the vapor generated which varies the action of said means on the abutment to thereby control the fuel pressure at the burner.

2. The combination with a vapor generator, of a burner, means for supplying said burner with liquid fuel under pressure, a spring-pressed movable abutment exposed to said pressure and. adapted to vary the same,

and a thermostat exposed to the vapor and controlling said spring to regulate the variation of the fuel pressure.

The combination with a vapor generator, of a burner, means for supplying said burner with liquid fuel under pressure, a movable abutment exposed to said pressure and adapted to vary the same, a spring pressing on said abutment and opposing the action of the fuel pressure thereon, a movable supy iort for said spring, and a thermoconnected with said burner, a pump for forcing the liquid fuel to the burner, a bypass around said pump to the reservoir, a valve controlling said by-pass and adapted to be opened by the pressure of the-liquid fuel, a. spring tending to hold the valve closed against the action of said pressure, and a thermostat adapted to vary the tension of said spring in accordance wit-h variations in the temperature of the vapor.

6. The combination with a vapor generator, of a burner, a source of liquid fuel supply, a pump for supplying the burner with fuel from said source, a by-pass for the pump, means for automatically controlling the by-pass to vary the pressure of the fuel supplied to the burner including a springpressed movable abutment exposed to the pressure of the fuel and a. thermostat exposed to the vapor for controlling said' spring, and a device for manually cont-rolling the spring.

7. The con'ibination with a vapor generator. of a burner, a source of supply of liquid fuel, a pump for forcing fuel from said source to the burner, a by-pass for the pump, a valve in the bypass, and means for controlling the operation of the by-pass valve coi'nprising a diaphragm in engagement with the valve which is subjected to fuel p-essure'on one side, a spring engaging the opposite side of the diaphra an which yields when the fuel pressure rises to a given value and permits the valve to open, and a thermostat which varies the tension of the spring in accordance with variations of the temperature of the vapor.

8. The combination with a boiler, of a burner for heating the boiler, means for supplying the burner with liquidfuel under' valve,

@047, of burner, means for supplying the imrner' h hqunl fuel under pressure, a

preseure, ahy-p'ass for (hve'rti'ng' fuel from the burner under eeriein oonditiom a valve for controlling the flow through the by pass, means operating to open the valve when the fuel pressure exceeds predetermined amount, and. thermostatic means re-- eponsive so the temperature of "the vapor generated. for also controlling fihe operation 9 The combination with a vapor genera- Dy- 132E592 for civerting fuel from the burner under certain eonchtions, a valve controlg the lay-pass, means permitting the valve 'Lo open the by-parse when. the fuel pressure rises to a eerain' oi11t, and thermostatic device responsive to the temperature of the generate-i vapor that cooperates with said means to .vary the pressure at which the valve opens the bypass.

l0. 'lhe, combination 'With a boiler, of a burner for heating the boiler, means sup plyihg :iiael under pressizre to the burner, a bypass valve for returning fuel to the mno-vemeni; of the the fuel, an arm pivot-ally mounted on the casing with its outer end arrengei over the middle or ihe dmphmgm, an ad ustable abutment mounted. 111 the outer end of the 7 arm, a spring arrangedjhetween the abutment and the diaphragm which opposes the (liagflillflgfil and the valve by the pressure of ghe iuei, and a thermostat responsive: so the temperature of the stemn generated which moves the arm to vary the tension of the spring and thereby vary theaction ofthe by-pass valve.

111 Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of September,

JOHN GALLAN.

Witnesses. I

JOHN A, MOMAN S, J12, CHARLES A. BARNARD. 

